Bag dispenser

ABSTRACT

A combined package and dispenser for rolled goods such as plastic bags. A roll of goods is enclosed within a container and the container has die cut openings on one face to pass the heads of nails driven into a wall for supporting the container upon the wall. The bags or other goods may be drawn through an opening in the container. A pair of combined end plates and roll supports are positioned in the container at opposite ends of the roll. These end plates reinforce the ends of the container, rotatably support the roll and determine a fixed axis of rotation for the roll.

United States Patent [1 1 Barnett 11 3,718,251 [451 Feb. 27, 1973 BAG DISPENSER [75] inventor: Karl F. Barnett, Bloomfield Hills,

Mich.

[73] Assignee: Cadillac Products, Inc., Warren,

Mich.

22 Filed: May 15,1970

[21] App1.No.: 37,665

[52] US. Cl ..206/47 R, 24/30.5 T, 206/DIG. 8, 206/58, 242/55.53 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 79/00 [58] Field of Search .206/47 R, 58, 59 F, 59 R, 57 A, 206/56 AB, DIG. 8; 242/68, 55.53, 55.2;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,229,876 1/1966 Osborn, Jr. ..206/58 X 2,890,821 6/1959 Becker ..242/55.53 X

3,049,227 8/1962 Reinemer ..206/47 3,338,399 8/1967 Burt ..206/58 2,836,292 5/1958 Klein t al ..206/58 3,417,863 12/1968 Paxton ..206/57 A Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Hamess, Dickey & Pierce [57] ABSTRACT A combined package and dispenser for rolled goods such as plastic bags. A roll of goods is enclosed within.

a container and the container has die cut openings on one face to pass the headsof nails driven into a wall for supporting the container upon the wall. The bags or other goods may be drawn through an opening in the container. A pair of combined end plates and roll supports are positioned in the container at opposite ends of the roll. These end plates reinforce, the ends of the container, rotatably support the roll and determine a fixed axis of rotation for the roll.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BAG DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bag dispenser and more particularly to an improved dispensing container that may be wall supported.

A wide variety of goods are sold in roll form with individual elements being separable from the roll. A typical example of such goods is the plastic bags widely used for garbage can liners and the like that are sold in roll form. These rolls of bags may be contained within a package that also serves as a dispenser. Due to the size of the bags, it is somewhat awkward to withdraw them from the container while the container is being held in one hand.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved dispensing package.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing package that may be convenient and easily supported on a wall.

As the roll is used, its diameter decreases. Unless some structure is provided for holding the axis of rotation of the roll in a fixed point, there is a possibility of the entire roll jumping out of the dispensing opening as the roll is being used. Although various arrangements have been provided for determining a fixed axis of rotation for such rolled dispensers, the arrangements heretofore proposed are expensive and have other defects.

It is, therefore, a further object of this invention to provide an improved end plate and roll support for a dispensing package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is adapted to be embodied in a package for dispensing bags or the like. The package comprises a roll of bags connected to each other in top to bottom relationship and scored adjacent their junctures for facilitating the separation of bags from the roll. A container includes the roll of bags and defines an opening through which the free end of the roll may extend for withdrawal of bags from the container. The container has at least one side adapted to engage a supporting wall and at least one score area in the one side that defines a portion which may be knocked out to define an opening to pass a nail or the like for supporting the package on the wall.

A further feature of this invention is adapted to be embodied in a combined end plate and roll support for a package of the type described in the preceding paragraph. Such a combined end plate and roll support including a first, relatively rigid portion that is adapted to be juxtaposed to one end of the container and a spool portion that is adapted to extend into one end of the roll for rotatably supporting the roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package shown in FIG. 1 as mounted upon a wall and opened for dispensing its contents.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A package embodying this invention is identified generally by the reference numeral 11 and is comprised of a container 12 and a roll of goods 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the roll of goods 13 is comprised of a plurality of plastic bags connected to each other in top to bottom relationship and scored adjacent their junctures for facilitating separation of individual bags from their roll 13.

The container 12 is formed from corrugated paper or the like and has a generally rectangular configuration. The container 12 includes a generally planar back wall 14 and a planar bottom wall 15. The top wall of the container has two sections 16 and 17 that are joined together with a scored or weakened area 18 formed adjacent their juncture. The section 16 is connected to the rear wall 14 and the section 17 is connected to a section 19 that forms a portion of a front wall when the container 12 is closed. Generally square end walls 21 are connected to the opposite ends of the sections 17 and 19.

The front wall of the container 12 is completed by a section 22 that is connected to the bottom wall 15. The end walls of the container 12 are completed by generally L-shaped sections 23.

It should be readily apparent that the container 12 will form a complete closure for the roll 13 when the top wall sections 16 and 17 are coplanar and when the front wall sections 19, 21 are coplanar. A strip of tape, or the like, 24 (FIG. 1) may be positioned over the juncture between the front walls sections 19 and 22 and along the portion of the end walls for protection and customer insurance.

The rear wall 14 of the container 12 is provided with circular scores 25 that provide sections adjacent the juncture of the rear wall 14 with the top wall section 16 that may be conveniently punched out. Preferably two such scored areas 25 are provided and these areas are spaced from each other a distance equal to the conventional stud spacing in building construction or a multiple ofit (e.g. 16., 32", 48", etc.). I

Enclosed within the container 12 is a package, indicated generally by the reference numeral 27 (FIG. 4). The package 27 is comprised of an easily opened plastic bag 28 in which a plurality of plastic bag ties 29 of any known type are enclosed. In addition to the ties 29, the package 27 may include mounting instructions for use and, if desired, a pair of nails 31.

In order to use the package 11, the tape 24 is opened and the hinged lid provided for by the sections 17, 19 and 21 is swung about the pivot point defined by the scored area 18. One end of the roll of bags 13 may then FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken be grasped and drawn outwardly through the resulted opening. At the same time, the package 27 can be removed. If the package 27 is provided with the nails 31, these nails are driven into the studs 32 and 33 of a wall 34 (FIG. 2). If nails have not been provided, the home-owner may supply them. The nails 31 are driven into the wall at a relatively steep angle as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The spacing between the nails 31 should be the same as between the scored openings 25. The package 11 is then supported on the nails 31 by moving it toward the wall 34 and downwardly after the nail heads have been aligned with the scored openings 25. The material in the openings 25 will then be knocked out and the nails 31 will engage the underside of the top wall section 16. The container 12 and enclosed roll 13 will then be rigidly supported on the wall 34 for convenient removal of the bags from the roll. The package 27 containing the ties 29 may be left handily on top of the top wall section 16.

It should be readily apparent that as the bags are withdrawn from the roll 13 the roll will diminish in diameter. As the roll becomes smaller, there is a likelihood of its bouncing or jumping as the bags are withdrawn. The bags may become damaged due to contact with the heads of the nails 31 or the entire remaining roll nay jump through the dispensing opening. In order to positively define a fixed axis of rotation for the roll 13 and in order to strengthen the container 12, a pair of combined end plates and roll supports 35 is provided. The members 35 are preferably formed from a vacuum formed sheet of polyethylene or some other material that has a low coefficient of friction. The members 35 each have a first generally planar portion 36 that has a configuration complementary to the ends of the container 12. So that the member 35 may be formed from a thin gauge, the portions 36 are corru gated as clearly shown in FIG. 3 to provide reinforcing.

Spaced from the portion 36 is a generally planar portion of annular shaped 37 that is connected to the portion 36 by a truncated conical portion 38. The conical portion 38 spaces the portion 37 axially inwardly from the portion 36. At the center of the portion 37, a generally cylindrical portion 39 is formed that is closed by an integral end wall 41. The portion 39 is adapted to extend into a central opening 42 in a stiffening tube 43 onto which the bags 13 are wound.

Since the portions 36 of the members 35 are trapped within the ends of the container 12 the portions 39 will define a fixed rotational axis for the roll 13. The spacing of the portion 37 from the portion 36 will space the ragged ends of the bags of the roll 13 away from the ends of the container and will facilitate withdrawal of the bags from the roll. Also, the portion 39 may be slightly tapered so as to provide a minimum area of contact with the stiffening tube 43. This will further reduce the friction against withdrawal of the bags.

Since the members 35 are separate from the container 12 a lighter weight construction may be used for the container. The portions 39 have sufficient axial length to preclude disengagement from the roll 13 should the end wall 23 of the container 12 deflect. Since a fixed axis is defined for the roll 13 by the members 35, injury to the bags from the heads of the nails 31 will be precluded as will jumping of the roll 13 from within the container 12.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing package comprising a roll of bags connected to each other in top to bottom relationship and scored at their junctures for facilitating the separation of ba 5 from said roll, and a container enclosing said roll 0 bags, said container having a rectangular cross sectional configuration in planes perpendicular to the ends of said roll, said container defining an opening extending longitudinally to the axis of the roll through which the free end of said roll may be withdrawn for withdrawing bags from said container, the rectangular cross sectional configuration of said container being defined in part by one side adapted to engage a supporting wall or the like, means within said container for supporting said roll of bags for rotation about a predetermined axis upon withdrawal of bags from said container through said container opening, the space between the outer periphery of said roll of bags before a bag has been detached and said one side of said container defining a free space and at least one scored area in said one side contiguous to the juncture of said one side with another of the container sides, said scored area defining a portion which may be knocked out to define an opening which will allow the passage of a nail or the like into said free space for supporting said package upon a supporting wall without damage to the roll of bags when withdrawn through said container opening.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the other of said container sides is adapted to receive a head of the nail passed through the opening for assisting in support of the container upon the wall. 

1. A dispensing package comprising a roll of bags connected to each other in top to bottom relationship and scored at their junctures for facilitating the separation of bags from said roll, and a container enclosing said roll of bags, said container having a rectangular cross sectional configuration in planes perpendicular to the ends of said roll, said container defining an opening extending longitudinally to the axis of the roll through which the free end of said roll may be withdrawn for withdrawing bags from said container, the rectangular cross sectional configuration of said container being defined in part by one side adapted to engage a supporting wall or the like, means within said container for supporting said roll of bags for rotation about a predetermined axis upon withdrawal of bags from said container through said container opening, the space between the outer periphery of said roll of bags before a bag has been detached and said one side of said container defining a free space and at least one scored area in said one side contiguous to the juncture of said one side with another of the container sides, said scored area defining a portion which may be knocked out to define an opening which will allow the passage of a nail or the like into said free space for supporting said package Upon a supporting wall without damage to the roll of bags when withdrawn through said container opening.
 2. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the other of said container sides is adapted to receive a head of the nail passed through the opening for assisting in support of the container upon the wall. 